| dc.description.abstract | The berries of Vitis vinifera are constituted by different compounds, such as sugars, organic acids, phenolic and aromatic compounds. The most important aromatic compounds correspond to the methoxypyrazines, terpenes, norisoprenoids and thiols, which together form part of primary aroma of the wine. The biosynthetic pathways that define the composition and concentration of these compounds will be strongly affected by several factors.
Despite the importance of the above described, there is limited information about the various routes of synthesis of each of these compounds and further of the different factors that affect each one of them. Moreover, in some cases the information available is contradictory.
The topics covered in this study were: definition of the aromatic compound, description of metabolic pathways, classification of aromas and analysis of the factors that influence their content. On this last point, the factors analyzed were exposure to light, climate, altitude, vigor and irrigation, yield, fertility, type of harvest and agricultural management, highlighting, leaf thinning, conduction system and cluster thinning.
According to the results of this study, it is possible conclude that most of the biosynthetic pathways of the aromatic compounds are clearly known. However, the biosynthetic pathway of methoxypyrazines is still unclear. Also, the factors discussed in this study have important effect on the content of aromatic compounds in the berries, and each aromatic compound responds differently to a specific factor. | |
